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Chef’s Secrets: Too Much Chicken!

Magneto and I don’t entertain often, but I have a bad habit of cooking as though we’re having guests almost every time I step into the kitchen. This means we’re always left with WAY TOO MUCH FOOD. Either I learn how to cook for two, or I do what I do below: repurpose my leftovers into brand new, delicious dishes.

It all started with a slow-cooker chicken the other night. Stuffed with a lemon, a head of garlic, and a fistful of herbs, the chicken stayed juicy and filled the house with an incredible aroma. After carving and eating as much chicken as we could, we ended up with enough for three more people.

Slow-cooker chicken is a no-fuss way of making dinner without heating up the whole house in the middle of summer.

Later in the week, I was craving risotto but didn’t want to make anything to go with it, so I created this one-pot dish that covered all the bases. After toasting the rice grains and onions in butter, I added some white wine and water, cooked until nearly done, then tossed in a ton of seasoning, frozen carrots and broccoli, and some cut up chicken pieces. Then I cooked the whole mess together until the rice was soft, et voila!

Mmmm…super hearty, simple risotto!

After all that hearty food, I figured it was time for something a little lighter. However, I’m not really a huge fan of cold chicken, so I took chunks of the chicken and sautéed them with more frozen broccoli, let it all rest, then topped an arugula salad with my dressed up leftovers. YUMTASTIC!

Arugula dressed with lemon juice, chicken and broccoli sautéed with grapeseed oil. Pretty much all I need, most days.